Archive for July, 2016

The WWE draft left NXT in a state of turmoil, its talent raided to strengthen the Raw and SmackDown rosters. With questions abounding and a dark cloud of uncertainty over the brand, the July 27 episode of the weekly show hit the WWE Network airwaves featuring both Shinsuke Nakamura and NXT champion Samoa Joe.
Little could those two Superstars have known that general manager William Regal's announcement would shake NXT to its core while simultaneously setting up the main event of TakeOver: Back to Brooklyn.
The ongoing saga of Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake continued as the former partners competed in singles ...

WWE's Cruiserweight Classic has been getting rave reviews from the WWE Universe for its fresh feel and exposing many fans to talents they may not have a chance to see otherwise.
This week's episode will feature the highly anticipated appearances of Zack Sabre Jr., Drew Gulak and former WWE Superstar Brian Kendrick.
Since WWE is bringing back the cruiserweight division to Monday Night Raw, we could see some of these talents signed to permanent contracts to fill out the division.
There's no confirmation yet, but it's quite possible the winner of this tourney could end up being awarded a brand-new Cruiserweight Championship.
But that's ...

After the first WWE SmackDown following the draft, we know Becky Lynch has a number of fights ahead of her. But we don't know what she and her rivals are fighting for.
WWE had a wealth of housekeeping items to take care of as it transitioned into another brand-split era. The rosters are in place, and the commentary teams are set, but the championship situation is up in the air. Tuesday's SmackDown didn't clear that up in the slightest.
Dolph Ziggler doesn't have to worry if there is a championship waiting for him at the end of the road. He won a ...

1. Maintaining the Buzz Around The Boss
Sasha Banks' stirring moment is over.
She climbed the WWE mountain, wrenched Charlotte's back until she submitted and held up the Women's Championship for the first time as her eyes filled with tears.
Now that her triumph on Monday's Raw is in the past, a more difficult task lies ahead for WWE: maximizing Banks' title win.
The Boss' victory over Charlotte was no normal win. As Will Pruett of ProWrestling.net noted, it was part of a statement:
The length and prominence of the match was a testament to the significance of women's wrestling in the New Era. It was ...

Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor has all the raw materials to build one of WWE's best feuds in 2016: athleticism in surplus, novelty and a compelling contrast.
After the company's surprise, surreal decision to catapult Balor to the top tier immediately upon his arrival, the former NXT champion is set to face Rollins for the brand-new WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam. The road to that collision and the clash itself both have the potential to leave Balor looking like a headliner, win or lose.
On Monday, Balor's first night on Raw after being drafted from the NXT brand, WWE announced the creation of a ...

The inaugural episode of SmackDown under Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan hit the USA Network on Tuesday and immediately demolished the expectations of fans everywhere, as Dolph Ziggler emerged from a gigantic Six-Pack Challenge match as the new No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship and the biggest winner of the night.
For two years, The Showoff has been lost in the shuffle, something he alluded to during a promo early in the SmackDown broadcast. He vowed to not only win the night's main event, but also make good on his latest opportunity. Then, in a humongous six-man battle, he defeated ...

Since its inception in 2012, WWE's developmental brand, NXT, has been home to many rising stars. Few, though, have left the indelible mark on the brand that Bayley has in her three-year run. Becoming arguably the most over wrestler in all of NXT, male or female, in 2016, it has been surprising how long Bayley has stayed on NXT rather than moving up to the main roster.
A member of the self-labeled Four Horsewomen, Bayley has been an integral part of WWE's revolution of the women's division, putting on top-level matches at NXT TakeOver events against Sasha Banks, Nia Jax and Asuka, ...

It's not fair to compare Tuesday's WWE SmackDown to the stellar Raw it had to follow.
SmackDown leaned on high stakes and clear goals for its wrestlers—just as Raw did on Monday. The blue brand introduced new names and catapulted recent NXT transplants—just like Raw. But where Raw generated magical moments and a star-making debut, SmackDown was simply a strong show.
Dolph Ziggler kicked his way into a showdown with WWE world champ Dean Ambrose. Heath Slater fought for a job. Randy Orton whipped out his favorite weapon.
None of that left one with a lump in the throat like Finn Balor's and Sasha ...

It'll be an all-Ohio battle for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam after Dolph Ziggler earned a shot against Dean Ambrose.
Ziggler won a Six-Pack Challenge on Tuesday night on SmackDown Live to become the No. 1 contender. WWE shared a replay of his celebration following the win:
The match included John Cena, AJ Styles, Apollo Crews, Bray Wyatt and Baron Corbin. For many fans, Ziggler was likely the biggest underdog among the six stars. FloSports' Jeremy Botter was pleasantly surprised by the result:
WWE seemingly abandoned its plans to build Ziggler as a top star when he had his concussion issues back in ...

Shelton Benjamin is back to set the gold standard in WWE.
The company announced Tuesday night Benjamin will be returning to the company as part of SmackDown Live:
The 41-year-old began wrestling for WWE in the early 2000s. He entered the company's radar based on his amateur success with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Benjamin formed the Minnesota Stretching Crew along with fellow Minnesota wrestler Brock Lesnar:
Over the years, Benjamin became known for his supreme athleticism. He was always good to provide a crazy moment during Money in the Bank matches:
WhatCulture Wrestling's Adam Pacitti shared an example of Benjamin's agility:
While he was a ...